Automatic machine



' April 16, 1935. w. w. OSLUND 1,993,093

-- AUTOMATIC MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1935 2 Shets-Sheet 1 7 66727- TZ'OsZvrz? x9 Wei/fi April 16, 1935. w. w. OSLUND fi l AUTOMATIC MACHINEFiled Feb. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 752 H 1 fi Patented Apr. 16, 1935UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Oslund Brothers Machine Company,Incorporated, Holden, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationFebruary 6, 1933, Serial No. 655,401

14 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic machines, and more particularly to amachine arranged to affix labels to articles such as glass bottlesautomatically and at a high rate of speed.

Machines of this type ordinarily comprise a rotary table on which thebottles are supported during the labelirr operation. A feeding devicereceives the bottles from a traveling conveyor and places them on thetable, and an additional mechanism transfers the labeled bottles fromthe table back to the conveyor. Prior machines in this art have beencomplicated and expensive, and they. have been subject to certaindifficulties in operation. The bottles are not always held firmlythroughout all parts of the cycle, and as a result breakage of bottlesfrequently occurs, particularly when the machine is stopped suddenly.The mechanism which removes the labeled bottles in some cases causesheavy shocks to the bottles, and in other cases fails to provideadequate support for the bottles.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a comparativelysimple and inexpensive automatic machine which is particularly adaptedfor afiixing labels at a very high rate of speed, and which will operatefor long periods without attention or repair.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an automatic machinewhich will hold the bottles or other articles firmly throughout theentire cycle of operation and thus prevent breakage of the articlescaused by sudden stopping of the machine.

t is a further object of the invention to provide a simple andinexpensive transfer mechanism particularly suitable for removinglabeled articles from the table of a labeling machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a transfer mechanismwhich will remove glass bottles from the table of a labeling machinerapidly and without shock and place them upon a traveling conveyor.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, the invention resides in the'combination of partsset forth in the specification and covered by the claims appendedhereto.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention,and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. l is a top plan view of a bottle labeling machine;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a bottle supporting bracket;

Fig, 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the driving means forthe bottle removing mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bottle removing mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings I have shown a machine particularly suitable foraffixing labels to glass bottles, but it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that the invention can be used advantageously inconnection with automatic machines in general.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a circular table which is arrangedto be rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l. The table isdriven by means of a vertical shaft 3| therebeneath which is provided atits lower end with a large bevel gear 32 (Fig. 3). This gear is drivenby an electric motor36 (Fig. 1) which is connected thereto by a suitablespeed reducing mechanism 31.

The unlabeled bottles are delivered to the machine and the labeledbottles delivered therefrom by the usual endless conveyor chain 46, theusual guide rails d3 being provided at each side of the track to keepthe bottles thereon. A flat horizontal shelf 59 is provided between thechain and the table even with the top thereof.

In order to transfer the unlabeled bottles from the conveyor chain 46 tothe table 30, I utilize a feeding turret 58 which is rotated about avertical axis in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. Thisturret is provided with a plurality of bottle-engaging hooks orabutments 59 which are equally spaced about its circumference, therebeing three of these hooks in the illustrated embodiment. The turret ismounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 63 which is driven at thecorrect speed relative to the table 39 by suitable mechanism (notillustrated). A suitable adjust,- ing means 5? (Fig. 1) is preferablyprovided so that the angular relationship of the turret to the shaft 63may be altered slightly if necessary to produce the desired operation.It will be noted that the shaft 63 is positioned between theconveyorchain 46 and the table 39, and the turret extends over the chain in aposition to receive the bottles carried thereby. A suitably actuatedmovable stop 69 is located in the path of the bottles on the chain e5,to synchronize the delivery of the bottles to the turret and thesuccessive arrival of the hooks 59 to the bottle receiving position, asotherwise the bottles would frequently be crushed by the hooks.

As soon as a bottle is engaged by one of the hooks 59 it is carriedaround thereby and placed upon the table 3-. During this movement thebottles are supported and held against the turret 58 by means of twoarcuate guide rails 81 arranged substantially concentric with theturret. These guide rails are yielda-bly urged toward the turret bysuitable means, and since each rail contacts with only one bottle at atime the bottles are firmly held.

As soon as each bottle is placed on the table 30 by the rotating turret,it is engaged by a bottle supporting bracket s3 mounted on the uppersurface of the table and near the outer edge thereof.

There are a plurality of these brackets (four being illustrated) equallyspaced about the circumference of the table. The speed of the turret E8is related to the speed of the table in the ratio of the number ofbrackets to the number of turret hooks 59. With four brackets and threeturret hooks, the turret should rotate four times while the table isrotating three times. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, each bracket 93comprises two vertically spaced double-pronged or V -shaped forks 94,and a connecting portion shown as a vertical post 35. The forks 9project horizontally from the post in vertical alignment with eachother, and the prongs at one side of the forks are considerably longerthan the other prongs. Moreover the extremities of these longer prongspreferably curve toward the shorter prongs, for a purpose which will bemade apparent later in this description. The brackets $3 are mounted onthe table 30 with the forks 94 extending forward in the direction ofrotation, and with the longer prongs located on the side toward thecenter of the table. The forks M are so shaped that when the bottle isin position in the forks a considerabl space will be allowed between thebottle and the post 95. The advantage of this construction will beexplained later herein. The brackets may be held on. the table invarious ways. In the illustrated embodiment vertical studs 9'! extendupwardly from the table, and the posts are made hollow to fit over thesestuds, set screws 98 being provided to hold the brackets firmly on thestuds.

After the continued rotation of the table has carried the bottle a shortdistance away from the feeding turret, labels from a storage magazine II3 are applied to the bottle by means of movable label pickers H4 whichare actuated by a suitable driving mechanism ll5. Various constructionsfor this purpose are known in the art, and no detailed description ofthese parts will be made herein, since the present invention isconcerned with other features of the machine.

As soon as the labels are brought to the bottle by the pickers, labelgrippers are moved into position to hold the labels against the bottles,whereupon the pickers are withdrawn. Each label gripper comprises avertical bar H! which carries label engaging members provided with labelcontacting surfaces of sponge rubber of other suitable material. Eachbar ill is mounted on the outer end of a horizontal arm H9 which securedto the upper end of a vertical shaft liil extending downwardly throughthe table 36. The central portion of the table. over which the arms I I9swing, is preferably depressed below the outer portion on which thebrackets 93 are mounted.

The movements of the label grippers are controlled by a suitablemechanism.

After the labels have been applied to the bottle, and the pickers havemoved out of the way, the rotation of the ta le carries the bottlebetween a pair of wipers I39 (Fig. 1) shown as arcuate shaped brushesmounted in a suitable supporting frame Mb. These brushes wipe theadhesive coated ends of the labels against the bottle. No attempt hasbeen made to illustrate the detailed construction of these wipers, sincethey may be of conventional form and are well known in this art.

As the labeled bottles reach a position near the conveyor chain as, theyare transferred from the table to the conveyor by a mechanism which willnow be described. This mechanism comprises a single hook-shaped memberor device M2 which is moved over the surface of the table in synchronismwith the rotation thereof, and which engages each bottle at the propertime and removes it from the table. This member is preferably given apeculiar motion which is a combination of translation in a circular pathabout a vertical axis and oscillation in a horizontal plane about apoint fixed relative to the member. This is brought about by moving onepoint on the .sember in a horizontal circular path without rota-tig themember, and at the same time oscillating the member about a verticalaxis passing through said point in synchronism with its movements in thecircular path.

In the preferred construction illustrated I have provided a head M4located between the table and the conveyor chain and arranged torotated. a vertical axis in a direction opposite to that of the table,that is, in a counter.- clockwise direction viewed in Fig. 4. The memil'? is pivoted to the head i 14 about a vertical axi spaced from theaxis of rotation. This pivotal. connection is formed by a vertical pinHill which projects upwardly from a horizontal bar Mil slidablyadjustable in the top of the head M5 to permit a v riation in the radialdistance of the pin from the axis of rotation. The head M 3 is mountedon the upper end of a vertical rotatable shaft M8 which carries a bevelgear t llon its lower end, as shown in Fig. This gear is driven by meansof a short shaft 15. .1 having on one end a bevel pinion E52 in meshwith the gear 559 and on the other end a beveled pinion 53 in mesh withthe main bevel gear 32. These gears are so proportioned that the head 24completes one rotation each time a bracket arrives opposite thereto.With four brackets on the table, the head should rotate at exactly fourtimes the speed of the table. It will be noted t at the head imparts tothe member I42 the above described motion of translation.

In order to produce the desired motion of oscillation well, I provide asecond head I55 adjacent to the 5M and likewise rotatable about avertical axis. The two heads are rotated at the same speed but inopposite directions. This is accomplished by mounting a gear I56 on thehead M4, and a similar gear I51 on the head I55 in mesh with the firstgear. The head I55 carries an eccentric vertical pin I59 which projectsupwardlly from a horizontal bar I62 slidably adjustable in the top ofthe head to vary the radial distance of the pin from the axis ofrotation. The pin 5E9 engages a slot or guideway I5! formed in ahorizontal tail piece or extension I82 integ ral with the hook-shapedmember I42. The member 142 and the extension M52 are approximately atright angles, and the pin I45 is located at their intersection. Theshape of the slot IEl may be varied as desired, but I prefer to curvethe outer portion of the slot toward the hook M2, since this results ina more pronounced slowing of the hook as soon as the bottle is placedbottle, as shown in Fig. 4.

on the conveyor chain. "ll'le angular relationship of the two pins I45and I59 may ofcourse be adjusted by varying the relative points ofengagement between the gears l58 and W1. I have found that good resrltswill be obtained if the bar 9% is substantially at right angles to thebar when the hook I42 first engages the In this figure I have indicatedin light broken lines the successive positions of the hook at eightequally spaced time intervals throughout the c ole. It will be notedthat the hook moves very fast while over the table and much more slowlywhile over the conveyor. This makes it possible to remove the bottle inthe same general direction as the bracket .93 is traveling, withoutinterference with the bracket, and yet the bottle. is immediately sloweddown sufiiciently to avoid any tendency to slide it along thecomparatively slow moving conveyor and thus possibly tip over thebottle. The

hook engages the bottle by reaching into the space bounded by the twoforks 94, the bottle, and the post Q5. if the bottle were in contactwith the post, this would not of course be possible.

A pair of vertically spaced arcuate guide rails is are preferablyprovided outside the path of the bottles as they are beingtransferr'edby the hook i 52. These rails are preferably yieldablysupported by mounting them on a vertical pivot pin 155 (Fig. l) andproviding a tension spring M6 to urge them against a suitable stop its.In order to eliminate still further any shock to the bottles as theyleave the table, I mount a finger Hi9 on the extremity of each guiderail. Each finger is pivoted to its guide rail and provided with a hookportion I18 which is yieldably held against the outer surface of theguide rail by means of a tension spring ill. These fingers I59 arelocated in different horizontal planes from the bracket forks 5M, sothat these parts cannot interfere. The ends of the fingers extend overthe surface of the table and as close to the path of the bracket posts95 as is practicable without interference. It will be apparent from aninspection of Fig. 4 that the curved extremities of the long innerprongs of the brackets perform an important function in directing thebottle cute wardly toward the fingers 569. These fingers cooperate withthe hook I42 in changing the direction of travel of the bottles withoutshock.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the abovedisclosure. The unlabeled bottles are placed upon the left end of theconveyor chain 45, which is traveling to ward the feeding turret 58. Asa bottle reaches the turret, it will'be engaged by one of the hooks 59,carried around thereby and placed on the table 30 directly in the pathof a bracket 93, which will immediately engage the bottle. Shortlythereafter the adhesive coated labels will be applied to the frontsurface of the bottle by the pickers H4, and a label gripper ill willimmediately be brought into contact with the central portions of thelabels. The pickers wiil thereupon withdraw, and the bottle will passbetween the brushes I39, which will wipe down the ends of the labels.

When the labeled bottle reaches a position near the hook M2, the labelgripper H'l will swing away from the bottle, and the hook I42 willimmediately engage the bottle and transfer it from the table to theconveyor chain 45, which will carry it to any suitable receivingapparatus (not shown). The hook moves very fast while over the table,since it has to engage the rear of the bracket forks es.

surface or the bottle, which is traveling rapidly due to the rotation ofthe table. Furthermore, the bottle must be withdrawn fast enough toprevent it from being struck by the outer prongs As the bottle reachesthe conveyor, however, the hook slows up considerably, so that there isno tendency to hurl the bottle along the conveyor.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present machineis simpler, less costly to manufacture, and more effective in operationthan any other machine heretofore produced for the same purpose. Thebrackets 93 form a simple and effective support for the bottles, and byproviding a space between the bottle and the post as, they make itpossible to use the simple hook member M2 for removal. Furthermore, withthis bracket construction, the labels can be wrapped entirely around thebottle if desired by a suitable wrapping mechanism.

the transfer device which controls the movements of the transfer deviceabout its pivot.

2. A transfer mechanism comprising a member arranged to rotate aboutasubstantially vertical axis, a hook-shaped device pivoted to the memberabout an axis spaced from and parallel to the first said device having aguideway formed therein, and a second member rotatable about a thirdsubstantially vertical axis at the same rate as the first member but inthe opposite direction, the second member having a projection whichengages the guideway and controls the movements of the device about itspivot.

3. A transfer mechanism comprising a stud spaced from and arranged torevolve about a substantially vertical axis, a hook-shaped memberpivotally supported on the stud, a tail piece projecting horizontallyfrom the member and shaped to provide a guideway, and a second studspaced from and arranged to revolve about a second substantiallyvertical. axis at the same rate as the first stud but in the oppositedirection, the second stud engaging the guideway.

'4. Atransfer mechanism comprising a head rotatable about asubstantially vertical axis, an upwardly projecting pin eccentricallymounted thereon, a hook-shaped member pivotally sup ported on the pinand provided with a horizontal extension having a slot therein, a secondhead near the first head and likewise rotatable about a substantiallyvertical axis, a gear rotatable with the first head, a gear rotatablewiththe second head and meshing with the first gear, the two gears beingof the same diameter, and an upwardly projecting pin eccentricallymounted on the second head and engaging the slot to control themovements of the member.

5. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis, amember located near the table and arranged to rotate about a verticalaxis in the opposite direction from the table, a hook-shaped deviceeccentrically pivoted to said member and arranged to move over the tableto remove articles therefrom, said device having a guideway formedtherein, and a second member rotatable about a vertical axis in the samedirection as the table, the second member having a projection whichengages the guideway and controls the movements of the device about itspivot.

5. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis andadapted to support articles at a. plurality of stations, a transferdevice arranged to engage the rear surface of each article and move itin a generally forward direction relative to the table, and deflectormeans fixed to the table adjacent each station and arranged to directeach article outwardly away from the axis of the table when the articleis moved by the transfer device.

'7. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis andadapted to support articles at a plurality of stations, a hook-shapedmember movable over the surface of the table in the direction of tablemovement but at a higher speed, said member being adapted to engage therear surface of each article and move it in a generally forwarddirection relative to the table, and deflector means fixed to the tableadjacent each station and arranged to direct each article outwardly awayfrom the axis of the table when the article is moved by the hook-shapedmember.

8. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis, aplurality of article-supporting brackets thereon, each bracket having adouble-pronged fork open in the direction of travel, and the innerprongs being longer than the outer prongs and curved. toward the outerprongs, and a transfer device to remove the articles from the bracketsin a generally forward direction, the curved inner prongs servingtodirect the articles away from the axis of the table as they leave thebrackets.

9. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis,aplurality of article-supporting brackets thereon, each bracket havingtwo vertically spaced double-pronged forks open in the direction oftravel, and the inner prongs being longer than the outer prongs andcurved toward the outer prongs, and a transfer device to remove thearticles from the brackets in a generally forward direction, the curvedinner prongs serving to direct the articles away from the axis of thetable as they leave the brackets.

10. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis, aplurality of article-supporting brackets thereon, each bracket havingtwo vertically spaced double-pronged forks open in the direction oftravel and a post connecting the rear portions of the forks, the

brackets being shaped to provide a space between each article and thecorresponding bracket post, and a transfer member arranged to enter thesaid space and engage the rear surface of the article to remove the samefrom the bracket in a generally forward direction.

11. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis, aplurality of article-supporting brackets thereon, each bracket havingtwo vertically spaced double-pronged forks open in the direction oftravel, and the inner prongs being longer than the outer prongs andcurved toward the outer prongs, and a transfer member arranged to engagethe rear surface of an article between the upper and lower forks andremove the article from the bracket in a generally forward direction,the curved inner prongs serving to direct the articles away from theaxis of the table as they leave the brackets.

12. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis, amember located near the table and arranged to rotate about a verticalaxis in timed relation with the table, a transfer device eccentricallypivoted to said member and arranged to move over the table, and guidemeans connected to the transfer device to prevent rotation thereof andat the same time cause the device to oscillate about its pivot insynchronism with the rotations of said member.

13. A machine comprising a table rotatable about a vertical axis, aconveyor located near the table, a member locatedbetween the table andthe conveyor and arranged to rotate about a vertical axis in theopposite direction from the table and in timed relation therewith, atransfer device eccentrically pivoted to said member and arranged tomove over the table and transfer articles therefrom to the conveyor, andguide means connected to the transfer device to prevent rotation thereofand at the same time cause the device to oscillate about its pivot insynchronism with the rotations of said member.

14. A transfer mechanism comprising a member arranged to rotate about asubstantially vertical axis, a transfer device pivoted to the memberabout an axis spaced from and parallel to the first axis, said devicebeing shaped to provide a guide means, and a second member rotatableabout a third substantially vertical axis at the same rate as the firstmember but in the opposite direction, the second member having meanseccentrically positioned thereon which engages the guide meansand'controls the movements of the device about its pivot.

WALTER W. OSLUND.

